Wellington aims to be world's first smoke-free capital

NEW Zealand's capital aims to be the world's first smoke-free capital as smoke-free areas extend to public spaces such as bus stops and building entrances.

In a community, sport and recreation committee meeting held yesterday Wellington City councillors agreed to make the capital city smoke-free by reducing the prevalence of smoking to less than 5 per cent by 2025.

Beginning on May 31 on World Smokefree Day, a smoking ban will extend to Civic Square, bus stops, botanical gardens, Waitangi Park, council housing, council-operated community centres, pools, recreation centres, building entrances and designated council laneways.

"We need to take this seriously as the capital city and ensure we do everything we can to make Wellington smoke-free by 2025.

"It's not just the smokers' lives that are of concern; smoking has a huge impact on wider communities and especially that of Maori and Pacific communities, where smoking rates are still as high as 33 per cent," he said.